Retractable car-fender.



No. 774,396. PATENTED Nov. 8. 1904.

A. D. PIDGEON.

RETRACTABLE OAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 4 SSHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

A. D. PIDGEON.

RETRACTABLE GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904.

s SHEETS-8EEET 2.

R0 MODEL.

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PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. A. 1). PIDGEON. RETRACTABLE CAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904. 4

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

' UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 190 1.

ANDREIV D. PIDGEON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RETRACTABLE CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION f rming part of Letters Patent N0. 774,396, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed August 10, 1904..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW D. PIDeEoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Retractable Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fenders for street railway and other cars, and has reference more particularly to that type of fender which is retractable beneath the end platform of the car when not in use.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved fender of this type which shall be more effective for its intended purpose of preventing injury and loss of life in case of. collisions and which atthe same time shall not require removal from the car when not in use, as where two cars are to be coupled together and run in trains.

A leading feature of my improved fender, whereby it is well adapted to clear the track with a minimum of danger ofinflicting injury upon persons or animals struck thereby, consists in its substantially cow-catcher form in contradistinction to the more usual and prevalent type of car-fender, which has a broad straight front end extending at right angles to the track. Fenders of this latter type often inflict more injury than they prevent by reasonof the fact that their construction is such as to throw the person or object struck backward upon the fender itself'or against the forward end of the car-platform with more or less serious injury. My improved form of fender, on the other hand, is designed, somewhat after the principle of the locomotive cow-catcher, to strike and throw sidewise of the track persons or objects encountered thereby, thus preventing danger of injury from direct collision with the advancing end of the CflPitSBlf.

To these and other minor ends my invention consists in a car-fender chiefly characterized by its generally V-shapedor cow-catcher form and so constructed in mating longitudinal sections as to be foldable to a position in which it may be retracted beneath the car when not in use.

Serial No. 220,242. (No model.)

means for advancing and retracting the fender through the actuation of a single control.- ling mechanism, all substantially as herein after described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

A car-fender embodying the principle of my invention in the most approved mechanical form which I have as yet devised is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the forward end or platform of a street-railway car, showing my improved fender applied thereto and disposed in operative position. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the fender in the position shown in Fig. 1. as viewed from a point beneath the car. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional detail view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is top plan View of the fender and car-platform with the former in its operative position as shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the fender in collapsed and fully-retracted position.

Referring to the drawings, 10 may repre sent the end platform of a street-railway car, herein shown as having a rounded or convexed front terminating in a bufling-sill 11.

12 represents the usual steps leading to the platform on either side of the car. Secured to the under side of the platform, near the forward end thereof, is a Wide depending hanger 13, which may be suitably braced by side struts 14. In rear of the hanger 13 and suspended longitudinally of the car on either side, as by means of hanger-brackets 15, are a pair of I-beams 16, Fig. 3, constituting combined supports and guides for the inner ends of the side frame members-of the fender, as hereinafter more particularly described.

Referring now more particularly to the construction of the fender itself, 17 designates each of a pair of parallel rods 'or bars, which underlie the forward end of the platform, and forwardly of the latter are bent so as to form inwardly-converging portions 17, which approach the central longitudinal axis of the car, and at their inner ends are united by a short straight transverse sectfdn fil, constituting the point or nose of the frame.

Preferably and 1 0o as herein shown the members or sections 17, 17*, and 17 are all formed integral from a suitably-bent rod or bar. Loosely hinged on the short transverse nose portion 17 of the outline frame of the fender thus formed are a pair of rearwardly-extending bars or strips 18 and 18*, the inner or rear ends of which are loosely hinged to the inner ends of a pair of transversely-extending rods or bars 19 and 19, which latter are loosely swiveled on the frame members 17 just in rear of the bends connecting the latter with the inclined sections 17*. This pivotal connection of the arms 19 with the horizontal supports 17 may be conveniently effected, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of U-shaped clamps 20, embracing the supports 17 and bolted to the opposite sides of the arms 19. A similar connecting means 21 may be employed between the forward ends of the bars 18 and 18 and the support 17 The independent triangular frames thus formed on one side of the fender by the bars or rods 17, 18, and 19 and on the other side of the fender by the bars or rods 17, 18", and 19 may be filled in by any suitable covering of sufficient strength to withstand the shocks to which the fender is subjected in use and preferably of sufficient resiliency to more or less cushion the blows imparted by the fender. Such a filling or covering is here indicated as consisting of longitudinal and oblique slats 22 and 23, disposed alongside of and parallel with the longitudinal and oblique frame members 18, 18, and 17, respectively, with transverse slats 24L connecting the same. The ends of the longitudinal slats 22 may be conveniently swiveled on the nose 17 of the outer skeleton frame and the inner meeting ends of the arms 19 19, respectively, the

ends of the oblique slats 23 being secured to the outer ends of the arms 19 19 and slats 22, respectively. The lattice-work filling or covering thus formed may, if desired, be covered by any suitable reticulated material, such as woven wire, or where the latter is of sufficient strength it may be substituted for the lattice-work filling described and shown. The particular construction or material employed for this covering or filling is immaterial to my present invention, and any other suitable covering or filling may be employed in lieu of that herein shown and described without involving any departure from the invention.

Referring now to the means whereby the fender thus formed is rendered collapsible and expansible as well as retractable and extensible, 25 designates runners which embrace the lower flange of the I-beam support 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to which the inner ends of the rods or bars 17 are connected. This connection may be made in any suitable way, but is preferably rendered adjustable by employing a fiat connection-piece 26, having a serrated face adapted to adjustably engage a correspon'dingly-serrated face of a depending fiange or web 25 of the runner, the two being clamped together by a bolt 27, and the connection-piece having a forward-extending projection 26, adapted to telescope the end of the rod or bar 17 and be secured in the latter, as by the pins or bolts indicated at 28. Where the bars 17 are hollow, as when made of gaspipe or similar material, the extension of the connection-piece may conveniently interiorly telescope said bars, as herein shown. Where the bars are solid, the extension of the connection-piece may conveniently be made hollow and exteriorly telescope said bars or be otherwise secured to the latter.

29 designates a winding-post jonrnaled up right in the forward end of the platform, the lower end of said post extending somewhat beneath the platform and its upper end being provided with a crank-arm 30 and handle 31. Fast on the winding-post above the floor of the platform is a winding-spool 32, while beneath the floor of the platform the lower end of the post is similarly provided with another winding-spool, 33. A chain or cable 34: is secured to the winding-spool 32 and passes thence over the forward end of the front sill 11., being preferably guided over a guide-roll 35, mounted thereon, and by branches 3 1 and 3a connects with the inner ends or corner portions of the twin triangular frames of the fender, respectively, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. A similar chain or cable 36 is connected to the lower winding-spool 33 and passes rearwardly therefrom over a suitablymounted guide sheave 37 and thence forwardly, being connected at its forward end to the inner corners of the triangular frame members of the fender by branches 36" and 36 respectively. The branch connections 34 and 36, which are united to the same triangular frame member, are slightly shorter than the branch connections 34:" and 36 for the purpose of effecting the overlapping movements of said frame members in the operation of collapsing the fender, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. The post 29 is equipped with a suitable ratchet and locking dog or pawl 38, Fig. 4, such as is common on hand-operated brake-posts for locking the post against backward rotation when the chain 34 is wound upon the spool 32, for which purpose the lower head of the spool may be peripherally notched, as indicated,to serve thepurpose of the ratchet. The forward end of the front sill 11 is preferably provided directly beneath the guideroll 35 with an abutmentbracket 39, Fig. 1, adapted to engage the upper corners of the triangular fender-sections when the latter are in their raised position.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that the fender is extended and elevated to its operative position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and that it is desired to retract the fender, the operator throws out the locking-clog 38 with his foot and turns the handle 30 of the the car.

winding-post in a direction to unwind the angular sections of the fender are at first lowered at their inner longitudinal edges and corners, and by reason of the fact that the shorter branch section 36 'of the cable 36 acts first on that section of the fender to which it is connected the latter is drawn slightly under the companion section, so that as the two descend they come to rest in a horizontal plane in overlapped position, as shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter the continued turning of the winding-post in the same direction retracts the collapsed fender to a position beneath the platform of the car, as shown in Fig. 5, in which position it is fully supported at both its front and rear ends by the hanger 13 and supporting and guiding rails 16, respectively.

To move the fender from such retracted position into operative position, it is necessary only to turn the winding-post in the opposite direction, so as to wind up the cable 3 1 and unwind the cable 36. This operation at first draws the collapsed fender forward, and then as the inner or rear ends of the fender-sections clear the under surface of the platform they are positively raised into oblique or side wise slanting positions and the inner ends or corners brought to rest within the angle of the abutment-bracket 39, whereupon the locking-dog 38 is tripped so as to engage its ratchet and hold the spool 32 against unwinding.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a fender readily capable of conversion from operative to inoperative condition by the actuation of a single simple mechanism within convenient reach of the operator of the car. The generally V-shaped form of the fender in connection with its downwardly and outwardly inclined operating-surfaces greatly promotes its efficiency as a means for clearing the track and preventing the collision with the advancing end of the car with a minimum of danger of injury or loss of life in case of accident by reason of the fact that the fender effects not a square or direct blow, but a sidewise or glancing blow, tending to dislodge the person or object struck sidewise of the track and out of the way instead of inducing a fall directly into or upon the fender and against the forward end of By applying a solid covering or shield to the upper surfaces of the triangular sections of the fender the same may be utilized as a plow to clear the track of snow. The device is comparatively inexpensive to construct and apply and by reason of the normal looseness of the joints connecting the parts and its described manner of connection to and support upon the car is not liable to be put out of service by slight deformation 'or disarrangement, and consequently serves to lessen the expense of repair as compared with many forms of existing fenders.

It is evident that my inventionmight be considerably modified. in respect to details of construction and relative arrangement of parts without departing from the operative principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the benefits or advantages secured thereby, and hence I do not limit the invention to the particular embodiment thereof shown and described, except to the extent indicated in specific claims.

1 claim- 1. A collapsible car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting-frame of generally V form, and a pair of triangular longitudinal sections mounted thereon, with means whereby said sections may be elevated to form oppositely-inclined sloping sides of the fender, substantially as described.

2. A collapsible car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting-frame of generally V form, and a pair of triangular longitudinal sections hinged thereon so as to swing from a substantially horizontal overlapped position to a position presenting a convex operatingsurface having oppositely-sloping sides, substantially as described.

3. A retractable car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting-frame of generally V form slidably supported at its rear broad end on the under side of the car-platform, a pair of triangular longitudinal sections hinged on said frame, and means whereby said sections may be raised to inclined operative positions abutting against the end of the car body frame and may be collapsed and retracted beneath the car-platform, substantially as described.

L. A retractable car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting-frame of generally V form slidably supported at its rear broad end on the under side of the car-platform, a pair of triangular longitudinal sections hinged on said frame, a winding-post mounted on the car-platform, and a flexible connection from said windingpost to said fender sections whereby the latter may be'collapsed and the fender retracted beneath the car-platform, substantially as described.

5. A retractable car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting-frame of generally V form slidably supported at its rear broad end on the under side of the car-platform, a pair of triangular longitudinal sections hinged on said frame, a Winding-post mounted on the car-platform, and flexible connections from said Winding-post to said fender-sections, one of said connections operating to retract the fender and the other to draw it forward and V raise it into operative position, substantially as described.

6. A retractable car-fender, comprising a marginal supporting frame of generally V form slidably supported at its rear broad end on the under side of the car-platform, a pair of triangular longitudinal sections hinged on said frame, a Winding-post mounted on the car-platform, spools on said post, and cables connected with the inner adjacent corner por- IO cables operating to retract the fender and the other to draw it forward and raise it into operative position, and said cables being further so arranged and connected that When one is Winding up the other is simultaneously unwinding, substantially as described.

ANDREW D. PIDGEON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK (J. GooDWIN. 

